New home plumbing design

I'm seeking advice and recommendations on a DWV and water supply design for a new house that I will be building this upcoming year.

Some information on me and the project.
I am not a plumber, but very handy in just about any field.
I plan on building a house in the country, so water will be taken in from a drilled and dug well, two seperate systems most likely, and waste water will be going to a septic tank.

I was wondering if someone could point me to a location where I can find the plumbing code and regulations, I am having a very hard time with this. I'd like to study it and make a CAD drawing with everything layed out.

I am sure you are an accomplished DIY'er, but an entire house DWV system is NOT something you can post on the internet and hope we will diagnose it and then HOPE you install it properly. We go to school for MANY years in order to learn how to do it. A plumbing code book and a do it yourself manual, is almost a guarantee that there will be inaccuracies in the design and installation. Even a simple sink addition can make us post dozens of replies before the person starts to understand what we are trying to tell him. Multiply this by many degrees and you will understand the difficulty, and futility, of doing it.

I would love to design my own DWV for my house, however, I realize that I lack the expertise some of you have having worked in the field for many years.

I will hire a contractor to do the work, but having a lot of contacts in the contractor field, I know some of the contractors out there do such pig slop they should be shot on the spot for it (my current house being an example).

Now, my goal is to have an understanding of the installation, I don't want the walls to be closed off without having the slightest idea of what is behind them. I will be doing electrical myself for the most part, and water supply too, already done it a few times.

My current problem, I don't know where I can find the code, the guide lines. The city provided me with a pamphlet stating the pipe sizing for fixtures in the house and I'm sure as long as I follow it, it will pass inspection. This is not the idea here.

I have spoken with the city inspectors, and I can't say I have much faith in them, they will approve just about anything if it is explained to them right. What I'm looking for is not something that will simply meet the city bylaws, but something that will surpass them.

I have already designed my own septic tank and I am currently working on the water supply, all I ask, is advice from you experts as to where I should look for how things should be done the RIGHT way.

With the current plans I forsee a few challanges.
1. I would like a bathroom in the basement
2. The kitchen sink is on the opposite side of the house where the stack will be.
3. Freeze proofing, if anything like that even exists.

The reason for these challanges is that I want everything to run on gravity, no storage tanks or pumps, everything has to be able to flow from any fixture in the house right down to the septic tank without any other assistance then that of gravity.

Key things to mention here, I have lots of room to go down with the septic tank, and the basement is not going to be very deep in the ground.

Finally, I have lots of time to work these details out, I will be filing for building permits in March/April of next year, before the shell is put in place to start installing the mechanics, it might be close to the end of the year, and it might be beginning of 2011 before it will actually be put to work and this is the scariest part for me.

I realize this seems like a lot for a single person, especially someone who is not a professional in the field, so again I will hire a contractor, I just want to know that what he/she puts in will do what I want it to, I'm not paying for cats in a bag here, neither would you, right?

However, I know that certain parts of Canada (Ontario being one) have many local amendments to this code.

I am assuming you are in Ontario, Canada and not a different Ontario (like in California).

Because of the many local code amendments, it would probably be best to get someone experienced in your local area to do the design/install. Read up what you can about the NPC and local codes so you know what is going on, but it would be difficult for you to design it yourself and meet all of the codes on the first try. I figure that you will also be plenty busy will other aspects of the house, so you may not have the time to learn & understand all of the codes and do the design.

Try to be educated so you know when something doesn't look right (especially during the install). I would let the pros handle the design.

Good luck to you as you get started on this. FWIW, I built a 5000 sq ft 'log mansion' myself, over 3.5 years. 3.5 baths, etc, and with zero help from anybody in regards to physical work (in the plumbing department), other than the septic tank and field, which I hired out.

I was helped tremendously by two books by Peter Hemp (Plumbing a House, and Installing and Repairing Plumbing Fixtures) and the local inspector, as well as some fine folks on this forum. The inspector, true to his word, was all over my work, not believing that a veterinarian could do it. I bought a copy of the applicable code books, and asked questions to the inspector.

Other than about 13 leaks on the first test, I had no problems; the system has worked perfectly, and tradesmen friends are impressed.

I say this not to brag, but to encourage you that YOU CAN DO IT! Don't let anybody tell you that you can't.

quote; I say this not to brag, but to encourage you that YOU CAN DO IT! Don't let anybody tell you that you can't.

That may be true for you, but not necessarily for EVERYONE. There are people who have constructed their own automobiles, but that does not mean EVERYONE can do it. And even when you CAN do it, sometimes the time frames make it expedient not to waste your time trying. One of the most frustrating things is to spend days, or weeks, installing what you think is the "jewel" of plumbing systems and then have an inspector, or plumber, tell you it "all has to come out and be redone properly". (I have had to do it to some DIYer installations. Even when they installed it just like they THOUGHT the city's drawing showed it.)